A second reading of Robert Halfon MP’s Private Members Bill demanding fuel tax transparency is scheduled for November 30.
The Vehicle Fuel Receipts (Transparency of Taxation) Bill was introduced to Parliament on October 16, and if it becomes law, it will force retailers to give a breakdown of what motorists pay when they fill up with fuel on the receipt. Speaking in Parliament, Halfon said: "This is a simple bill that does what it says on the tin. It would give us transparency on fuel duty. It would make the system more honest, act as a deterrent against tax rises, and add pressure on the oil companies to be fair.
"Taxes should be clear to the people who pay them. At the moment, they are not. The average family in my constituency spends a tenth of their income on fuel more than they spend on the weekly shop. In essence, they are facing petrol and diesel poverty, and they have a right to know why their bills are so high."
Halfon also argued that receipts should state how much of that duty is spent on improving Britain’s roads. In an interview with the Telegraph newspaper, he said that just a fifth of taxation raised from motoring taxes is currently invested back into our roads.
On a £60 fuel bill, motorists would learn that the fuel cost £25, duty made up £25, VAT £10 and the amount of that bill spent on roads would be approximately £7.
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